


The Years To Come

by Shawnathin93



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 07:20:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2842790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shawnathin93/pseuds/Shawnathin93
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He hated weddings. Stupid dancing. Stupid Lights. Stupid food. Stupid brown haired little brats who won't leave him alone. Okay, maybe he didn't mind that last one so much.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Years To Come

**Author's Note:**

> I had an idea for this when I was at a wedding last week, and just had to do it. If you like it, Kudos and Comments keep me writing and keep me sane <3 
> 
> My tumblr is www.shawnhodson.tumblr.com

He fucking hated weddings.

 

Okay, maybe they weren’t _that bad._ He just hated dancing. And shitty wedding food. And people smiling all the time. And children. And seizure-inducing lights.

 

…Okay, maybe he did hate weddings.

 

Either way, Levi found himself driving three and a half hours to the venue of his friend’s wedding.

 

“Why does Erwin have to be married up in the mountains in the middle of bum fucking Egypt?”  He muttered to himself.

 

He honked at the car in front of him. Not because they were doing anything wrong; he just wanted to vent out some of his anger. He was rewarded when the car switched lanes and was free to speed past them.

 

He breathed a deep, slow breath. _Just three days. Three easy days, and I can head back home, back to my shitty job and my shitty life._

 

In reality, Levi’s job wasn’t that bad. He was actually pretty lucky to have, at the age of 21, landed a nice job at _Veycorps,_ the world’s largest computer company without a single day spent in college. Sure, he was at the bottom of the chain, but it was an opportunity to finally make something of himself. A chance to change his life for the better.

 

As he sped up the slow incline, he started noticing white on the road. Soon, snowflakes were lightly dusting his car.

 

 _Oh great_. He thought. _Just what I needed. Thanks god, why don’t you just go ahead and kick me while I’m down._

 

Due to the steady incline of the hill, snow was soon piling on the road. Finally, he was forced to pull over. He got out of the car, chains in hand, and set to work chaining up his tires. _Great, this is a wonderful start. Hopefully this isn’t some foreshadow of the weekend to come._

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Two hours later, Levi finally, _finally_ was pulling into the hotel’s parking lot. There was at least a foot of snow on the ground by now, but his chained up car had pulled him through. He parked, took the chains off his car, threw them in the back, and walked inside.

 

The doors slid open automatically. _Sheesh, what kind of hotel charges so much that they have automatic sliding doors? I heard this place wasn’t too fancy, but they must charge a mint. Good thing Erwin is paying for everything._

 

He looked around a little bit. His first impression was that Santa had taken a shit all over. There were Christmas decorations everywhere. He walked over to the receptionist, who was decked out in a holiday sweater and reindeer antlers, and waited.

 

She was busy typing on her computer, so Levi waited patiently. After a moment, she looked up, and jumped.

 

“Oh sir, you gave me such a fright!” she said with a small smile. “What can I do for you today?”

 

“I’d like to check into my hotel.” Levi said, bluntly.

 

“Sure thing, Mr.…?”

 

“Rivaille. Levi Rivaille.”

 

“One moment please, sir. Let me just check on that.” More typing, then, “I’m sorry, Mr. Rivaille. Your room won’t be ready until a quarter after three. That’s another half an hour or so. There are plenty of sights to see in town, or you can just wait here. I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

 

Levi felt a flicker of annoyance, but decided against voicing it. “It’s fine. I’ll just wait here.” He said.

 

He thanked her, then sat down at one of the chairs by the fireplace. Just one more hour, and he could get to his room, and take a nap. Or a hibernation. Maybe he’d wake up after the wedding and call it a three day sleep-cation.

 

His thoughts were interrupted by a boy running through a nearby hallway. He was no more than eight, no less than six, and his arms were outstretched like a plane. He ran around the room making plane noises, and didn’t see Levi. Well, at least until he ran smack into his legs.

 

The boy fell flat on his face. Before he could get up, and before Levi had a chance to reprimand him, another man entered the room.

 

“Eren, stop that now or I’ll send you up to your room for a timeout. Apologize to the young man.” He said.

 

The boy got up, and turned to Levi, an apology already forming on his lips, but stopped when he saw the older man. He just stared, not saying a word. Levi noticed that his eyes were a very deep shade of greenish-blue, he’d never seen anything like it.

 

“Eren, I said apologize.” The man, Levi could only presume was his father, said.

 

He stared at Levi for another few seconds, then turned away and muttered “Sorry.”

 

“Eren.” The man said.

 

Before the kid could respond, Levi said “That’s quite alright. I know it was an accident, it won’t happen again, right?”

 

Eren turned, smiling, and shook his head.

 

“Then no harm done.” Levi finished.

 

Eren ran out of the room, glancing back at Levi before he left. His father sighed.

 

“I don’t know what I’m going to do with him.”

 

Before he could stop himself, Levi said “I’ve dealt with plenty of brown haired shits in the past, your son isn’t that bad.” He looked up, somewhat horrified at what he’d just said.

 

The older man just laughed. “You’ll go far with that attitude. I’m Grisha, by the way.” He held out his hand.

 

“Levi” he said, taking it.

 

“You here on vacation, or for work?” Grisha asked.

 

“I guess you could say both. I have to go to my friend’s wedding, but I’m dreading every second of it.”

 

“Erwin?” Grisha asked.

 

“Yeah, how did you-“

 

“We’re friends of the family, that’s what we’re here for too!” He said, smiling. After a moment’s pause, he added, “Well, I should probably chase after him. He always seems to find trouble, that boy.”

 

He got up and left, leaving Levi to ponder the last few minutes. Just then, the receptionist informed him that his room was ready, and he took his leave as well.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------

 

Before he knew it, the days had flown by, and the wedding was upon him. He looked down at himself in the mirror. He was wearing a simple black suit with a baby blue vest and matching tie. He’d never admit it to anyone, but he loved wearing a suit.

 

He looked down at his watch, and, taking one last look himself in the mirror, made his way out of his room and downstairs to the banquet hall.

 

He found Erwin, standing outside in his white, _of course it’s white,_ suit. He made his way over and slapped him on the back, saying “About time you were hitched. Your moment has come.”

 

Erwin turned, and hugged him. Levi begrudgingly hugged back, and Erwin said, “Levi! Have you been avoiding me all week? I almost thought my best man wouldn’t show up!”

 

Levi feigned ignorance. “I’m your best man? What? I didn’t know that. I’m the best man? Erwin, it’s a good idea to tell your best man if they’re the best man. That’s how they know if they’re the best man.”

 

Erwin chuckled his deep chuckle. “Oh Levi, your sense of humor has always been somewhat…strange. Some call it sarcasm, but it's a good thing I always know when you’re joking and when you’re being sarcastic.”

 

“Is there a difference?” Levi asked.

 

“See, that was sarcasm.” Erwin said, chuckling again. Before he could say another word, the door opened, and Erwin heard the start of the music.

 

“Well, this is my cue.” He said. He turned, and held out his hand. “Thank you, old friend, for everything.”

 

“Good god, you’re not dying or anything. You’re just signing yourself to a lifetime of entrapment…I guess you are dying.” Levi replied, though he grasped the other man’s hand.

 

Erwin only smiled, turned into the room and strode down the aisle.  Next, it was Levi’s turn.

 

He made his way down, seeing both familiar and unfamiliar faces. He was about halfway down the aisle when he noticed Grisha and Eren sitting at the end of one of the rows. They were both dressed in suits, and Eren was staring straight at him. Normally, he would have found it creepy, but he didn’t mind too much.

 

When he reached the front, he turned to face the crowd. The rest of the wedding party followed, and soon, the officiant was asking that everyone rise. They all did so, and the music slowly changed into the piano version of _Who Wants to Fall in Love._ They all turned.

 

Erwin’s soon-to-be husband, Mike, entered the room. He was in a black suit, almost entirely the opposite of Erwin’s. He made his way down the aisle, taking his time, and when he reached the front, turned to face the other.

 

The officiant began, and before long, he was saying “You may now kiss.” They did, and the crowd went wild. Levi even managed a real, albeit small, smile for his best friend, who was finally, truly happy.

 

\----------------------------------------------------

 

Dinner and Cocktail hour went by in a blur. He was asked to give a toast, to which he remembered saying a few words about his health and happiness, and the rest of the speech was spent telling a story at Erwin’s expense. Nothing really jumped out at him during this time. The only thing he remembered was the boy. Every time Levi turned to talk to someone, or to grab something to eat, he found the boy staring right at him. At one point, Grisha turned to him and, Levi was pretty sure, told him off for it. He didn’t know why, but he still didn’t mind. Normally, a kid refusing to leave him alone would be grounds for murder.

 

Finally, it was time for Levi’s both least favorite, and favorite part of the night. The dancing. He hated it, because he hated dancing, but he loved it because it meant the night was almost over. He made his way over to his seat, intending to plant it there for the entirety of the night. His table was empty, which was perfect for him.

 

The plan was working out very well, until the DJ announced that it was time for the garter toss. He asked that all single men go on stage. Of course, Levi was looking forward to watching tons of men grab at a piece of Mike’s undergarments, until Erwin whispered something in the DJ’s ear, and he said over the microphone “Levi Rivaille, please come up here.”

 

Levi felt his face turn a slight tinge of pink, but he sat where he was, not saying a word. _Maybe they’ll just move on._

 

A moment later, “Levi, Erwin says if you don’t come up here, he’ll take this microphone and tell the story of the time you were sent to fat camp.”

 

Levi sprung out of his seat, and was in the crowd of single men within seconds. _Fuck that motherfucker._

 

Erwin just turned and winked at him, before pulling up his husband’s pants, to reveal the garter. Using nothing but his teeth, he successfully removed it, and still using his mouth, flung it backwards. Without thinking, Levi reached out, and caught it.

 

“Looks like Levi is going to get hitched soon!” Erwin said, slapping him on the back.

 

Levi just grunted, and made his way back to his table, perfectly content with it being his place of residence for the remainder of the evening.

 

Just as he was getting ready to make a nice and quiet exit, he saw Grisha and Eren making their way over to him. Eren looked frightened, and refused to look at him, instead choosing to stare at the floor.

 

“Son, tell Levi why you were staring at him all night. Tell him, and apologize.”

 

“I don’t wanna!” Eren said, rather loudly.

 

“Either you tell him, or I will tell him. Stop being foolish.” Grisha said.

 

Eren huffed, then said, still not looking at him, “I just…I really like Heichou okay?”

 

“…Heichou?” Levi asked, questioningly.

 

“It’s what he’s been calling you all weekend. I don’t know why. I guess it’s just the name he’s given you because he can’t say either your first or last name correctly.

 

“I don’t care what you say dad! I really like Heichou and you can’t change that!” Eren screamed this time. The music was playing quite loudly, so no one but the three of them could hear it.

 

“Please tell my son how foolish he’s being so we can move on with our lives! He hasn’t shut up about you all weekend and frankly, he’s on my last nerve.”

 

Levi just sat there, quite dumbstruck. Why was this little boy so infatuated with him? He wasn’t anything special. It was probably just a thing kids went through. An idea struck him though, a way both the boy and his father could walk away happy.

 

He knelt down next to the boy, and said, “Hey, Eren. Please look at me.”

 

Eren slowly looked up, tears freely falling down his face. “Please don’t tell me to stop. I- I don’t want to.”

 

Levi chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to do that.”

 

Grisha looked shocked, but Levi held up his hand, and continued. “I’m not going to do that, but you have to understand something. How old are you?”

 

“Eight and a half!” Eren said, proudly.

 

“Eight and a half? That’s pretty old! Do you know how old I am? I’m 21 years old. That’s a difference of nearly 13 years. That’s a really big gap for us, you know. I’ll tell you what. Let’s make a deal right here and now. When you’re all big and grown up, you come find me. My name is Levi Rivaille. If you come find me when you’re all big and grown up, I’ll take you out on a date, okay?”

 

Eren sniffed, and said “Y-you promise?”

 

“I promise.” Levi said, holding out his pinky.

 

Eren smiled, and, bouncing up and down, took his pinky with his own. “Then it’s a deal!”

 

“Just make sure you start acting nicer to your dad, okay? I can’t date anyone who doesn’t respect their parents.”

 

“I promise as well!” Eren said, and squeezed his pinky with his own.

 

“Then we have a deal.” Levi finished.

 

He got up, and Grisha held out his hand. “Thank you, Levi. That was very kind of you.”

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------

**Thirteen Years Later**

 

Levi opened the door to his house. It had been a long day at work, and he was glad it was over. He still worked for Veycorps, but he was now the Vice President of sales, and was quite happy in his position. Sure, his house wasn’t the largest, but it was his.

 

He practically threw off his suit, only taking the time to hang it up perfectly because he knew he’d hate himself later if he didn’t, then hopped into the shower. Once he deemed himself sufficiently clean, he dried off, and put on something a little more comfortable, jeans and a Christmas sweater. Yep, it was that shitty time of the year again; Christmas and his birthday.

 

He never really cared too much for either, and this was no exception. There was no tree, no lights, no reminder that two important events were occurring that day. He was perfectly content with getting off of work an hour early, and sleeping his night away on his couch.

 

He went downstairs, and started a fire. He had a real fireplace, not one of those “electric-shithole of a fireplace mockeries”. After that, he got himself a nice cup of hot chocolate, and sat down on his couch, quite content.

 

Only a few moments had gone by, when he heard a knock at the door. “Who the fuck is calling at this hour. On _Christmas! My Birthday! Someone wants to get shot._

 

He begrudgingly got up, made his way over, and opened the door.

 

A man, a good three or four inches taller than him, with messy brown hair stood at the door. He was holding a small Christmas tree. He had eyes that were so, very familiar, but Levi couldn’t place them. “Yes, what do you want?” Levi asked.

 

The man fidgeted a little bit, as though trying to find the right words to say. He looked down, still moving back and forth, and took a deep breath. When he looked up, he had a look of determination on his face. He stuck the tree out, as though to offer it to Levi, stared him dead in the eyes, and said “You haven’t changed one bit, Heichou. Not one bit.”

 

“Hei-“Levi began, but froze. There was absolutely no way, there was no fucking way at all.

 

“ _E-Eren_?” He breathed.

 

Eren smiled a big, happy smile. “You remembered! I didn’t know if you would. I was so young!”

 

“How- how did…why…”

 

“Ever since that day, and every day since, I have said your name before going to bed, just so I wouldn’t forget it. Once I turned 21, I looked you up, and it wasn’t too hard to find out where to find you after that. I considered showing up where you worked, but it seemed really creepy and not romantic at all and even talking about all this now, I feel like a creeper but…Merry Christmas! And…if I recall…you do have a promise to keep.

 

Levi stared at the man that had once been no more than a boy. A boy that he’d made a promise to at a wedding all those years ago. Something he’d done…mostly…as a way to make both him and his father happy. A boy that had said his name every day to make sure he remembered it. Someone who had done all that for him. _For him!_ Wave upon wave of emotion was crashing through Levi. He felt more than he had in his entire life, but he didn’t let any of that show. He merely looked at him, and said, very simply:

 

“That I do, Eren. That I do. Merry Christmas to you as well.” And for the first time in his life, he actually meant that. 

 


End file.
